Recreational and sporting fishermen often use a transducer, typically a sonar unit for detecting depth and/or for locating fish, as part of the basic equipment they take with them on each fishing trip. Often, they will mount their transducer on the bottom of their trolling motor, as this provides a convenient location for the transducer. This is particularly true for depth-finding sonar units, which should be directed straight down under the surface of the water in order to function properly. Unfortunately, locating the transducer on the trolling motor subjects the transducer to difficult conditions which may lead to a malfunction of the transducer mechanism, misalignment of the transducer, or even loss of the transducer.
There are many underwater obstructions and hazards located beneath the surface of the water in boating areas. As a result, the trolling motor may bump or snag various underwater obstructions. This subjects a transducer mounted on the trolling motor to impact, which may jar the transducer severely. Such impacts may result in damage to the sensitive mechanisms of the transducer. They may also lead to the transducer""s position on the trolling motor being altered, which may adversely affect the transducer""s ability to provide accurate information. The wires leading from the transducer up to the user in the boat may also snag on underwater obstructions, damaging the electrical components of the transducer. In the worst case scenario, such impacts may even tear the transducer loose from the trolling motor, in which case the transducer can be lost. In fact, most professional sports fishermen lose several transducers each year in this manner.
The current method for mounting a transducer upon a trolling motor uses either a large cable tie or a metal hose clamp to tie the transducer directly onto the bottom of the trolling motor. The transducer is unprotected and completely exposed to underwater obstructions, and the wires from the transducer also hang freely and are exposed, so that they may snag or snare upon underwater obstructions. Furthermore, the cable tie or hose clamp is not particularly strong, since it was not designed for this particular type of task. As a result, the cable tie or hose clamp will often break if the transducer hits some underwater obstruction during trolling, and the transducer will be knocked free of the trolling motor. Even if the metal hose clamp does not actually break, the transducer will often be either knocked out of alignment or jarred sufficiently so that the electronic mechanisms malfunction. Finally, when the trolling motor is in use, it may produce interference with the electronic data of the transducer.
The instant invention, referred to as a Trolling Motor Transducer Mount (xe2x80x9cTMTMxe2x80x9d), was developed to overcome these problems which typically arise when a transducer is operated from a position on a trolling motor. The TMTM provides a means for durably fixing a transducer upon a trolling motor. Because of the design of the TMTM, the transducer is much less likely to be torn off of the trolling motor. Indeed, the strength of the attachment provided by the TMTM also reduces the chances that the transducer will be knocked out of alignment. The TMTM also shields the transducer from direct exposure to underwater obstructions, so that the electronic mechanisms in the transducer are less likely to be jarred to the point of malfunctioning. The TMTM provides a convenient location for the wires leading from the transducer up to the user in the boat, so that the wires are not exposed to the elements in a manner that would allow for snagging to occur; rather, the wires are shielded within the TMTM. Enclosing the transducer within the TMTM also shields the transducer from interference when the trolling motor is operated. Finally, the TMTM allows the transducer to be easily removed from its position on a trolling motor. One embodiment of the TMTM even includes a convenient temperature probe, which is mounted on the TMTM so that the user may detect the temperature of the water beneath the surface. Obviously, the TMTM solves many of the problems which recreational and sporting fishermen have encountered using the current technology to affix transducers to trolling motors.
Generally, the present invention relates to mounting a transducer upon a trolling motor, although the present invention is not limited to such use. An object of the present invention is to durably but removably mount a transducer to the bottom of a trolling motor. Another object of the present invention is to rigidly affix a transducer to a position on a trolling motor, so that even if the transducer is bumped or jarred, its position will not be substantially altered. Yet another object of the present invention is to protect and shield the mechanisms of a transducer mounted to a trolling motor from direct impact which could damage or disrupt the functioning of the transducer. Yet another object of the present invention is to hold the wires of the transducer in a manner which reduces the chances that they may snag or snare upon underwater obstructions. Yet another object of the present invention is to shield the transducer and its wires from interference when the trolling motor is in operation. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a location to durably mount instruments, such as a temperature probe, underneath the surface of the water. Yet another object of the invention is to resist the corrosive environment underneath the surface of the water. A person skilled in the art field will understand these and other uses and objects for the present invention.
The TMTM is comprised of a circular collar which is open at one end. A housing with a recess, in which a standard transducer (such as LOWRANCE(copyright) and HUMMINBIRD(copyright) transducers) may be mounted, is attached to the circular collar. The housing may be attached anywhere along the circumference of the circular collar, but in the preferred embodiment the housing is located at the closed end of the circular collar. A standard transducer may be mounted in the recess so that it is enclosed within the TMTM and shielded by the TMTM from direct impact. The other end of the circular collar is open and is configured to allow for the open end to be clamped together in order to form a solid ring surrounding the circumference of the trolling motor. When the circular collar is open, it is sized so that it loosely fits around the housing of a standard trolling motor. Thus, when the circular collar is open and unclamped, it may be easily installed onto a trolling motor by simply sliding onto the housing of the trolling motor. When installing the TMTM upon a trolling motor, the recess is typically positioned so that, when the trolling motor is in use and is positioned beneath the surface of the water so as to drive a boat, the recess will face directly down towards the bottom of the body of water. Once the TMTM is properly positioned on the trolling motor, the open end of the TMTM is clamped together so that the TMTM acts as a solid collar encompassing the diameter of the trolling motor housing. This clamping action also causes the diameter of the TMTM to be reduced, so that the TMTM fits snugly onto the trolling motor housing. In essence, this clamping action causes the TMTM to lock into position on the trolling motor housing, with the friction between the inner surface or the TMTM and the trolling motor housing preventing any movement of the TMTM with respect to the trolling motor housing.
Typically, the open end of the TMTM is designed with flanges with bolt holes. Once the TMTM is properly positioned on the trolling motor housing, bolts are inserted through the holes in the flanges, and nuts are attached to the free end of the bolts. Once the nuts are tightened, the flanges will be pressed tightly together in order to close the open end of the TMTM so that it forms a solid circular collar tightly encompassing the trolling motor. In this way, the entire TMTM acts as a clamp, which may be properly located on the trolling motor when open but which is securely fastened to the trolling motor when it is closed and fixed shut.
The TMTM may also have an internal feature which holds the wires from the transducer inside of the TMTM so that they may not snag on any underwater obstructions. Typically, this is accomplished using a groove along the inner surface of the TMTM, along with a slot formed when the two flanges are joined together. The wires from the transducer are fed through the groove along one side of the TMTM and then exit through the slot between the flanges. Typically, the TMTM would be mounted close to the shaft of the trolling motor leading up out of the water. In that case, the wires from the transducer would exit through the slot, which is positioned atop the trolling motor, and could be attached to run up along the shaft, so that the wires would not hang freely but would be secured tightly along the profile of the trolling motor to reduce the chances of snagging.
Although the TMTM may be made adjustable in order to fit different sizes of trolling motors, in the preferred embodiment, different size TMTM devices are designed for use with different sizes of trolling motors. As most of the trolling motor market is made up of two specific sizes of trolling motors (namely the MOTORGLIDE(copyright) or standard MINN KOTA(copyright) with a diameter of approximately 3.710 inches and MAGNUM MINN KOTATM with a diameter of approximately 4.025 inches), typically there may be two different versions of the TMTM device, sized to fit the two primary types of trolling motors. Obviously, similar TMTM devices could be made to fit other trolling motors. Due to the substantial size of the TMTM encompassing a trolling motor, which is much wider and thicker than the hose clamps currently employed, the TMTM is much sturdier and is much better able to resist damage. Also, the larger surface area and the clamping mechanism for locking the TMTM in place on a trolling motor produces a much firmer attachment to the trolling motor.
Durability may also be increased by employing specific techniques in constructing the TMTM. Typically, a TMTM would be machined out of a solid block of aluminum and then anodized. The anodized aluminum provides a good combination of lightweight strength and corrosion resistance. Machining the device out of a solid block of metal also ensures greater strength than if the device were cast. Other construction techniques and materials may obviously be employed, so long as they provide the requisite strength and corrosion resistance.
Finally, the TMTM may serve as a solid location to mount other instrumentation which needs to be placed under the surface of the water. So for example, a temperature probe could be affixed to the outer surface of the TMTM, so that when the trolling motor to which the TMTM is mounted is in use, the temperature gauge would provide the user with the temperature of the water beneath the surface. Such information about the conditions of the water may prove useful to recreational and sporting fishermen.